Is NBC preparing to announce Jay Leno's departure from The
Tonight Show?
The network says categorically no, but two high-level
industry sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that NBC is moving toward a May
announcement that the 2013-14 television season will be the last for Leno as
host of the long-running late-night show. Sources expect the network to move
Jimmy Fallon from his Late Night spot into the coveted 11:35 time slot with a
soft launch during the summer of 2014 before a formal fall kickoff.
A Leno rep says, "We do not speculate on rumor."
Whether the network finally executes the Tonight transition plan remains to be
seen. Anyone with even a passing sense of Leno’s personality knows that the
hardworking comic would be reluctant to leave his perch, especially before his
rival at CBS, David Letterman, announces his retirement. Leno and Letterman are
both signed through 2014.
With Jimmy Kimmel attracting younger viewers, Jimmy Fallon
seems a logical choice to move into the coveted 11:35 time slot in 2014.
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